9 Reasons Why You Should Choose the Mountains & Go Trekking in 2021!

We practically live in the mountains, they are nothing short of home to us. Our Trek Captain, Naveen Mallesh spends most of his time trekking in the mountains, from trails near Bangalore, the Western Ghats in Karnataka to the Indian Himalayas and international treks. Through all of his treks and travels, here’s a little bit of what the mountains have taught him and why we think you should definitely choose the mountains in 2021!

While 2020 was relatively slow for all of us, and most of us did not get a chance to explore the mountains, 2021 seems like a bright year for us to step outdoors. As the country preps to receive the COVID vaccines, we have ensured the utmost safety and precautions in all our departures. As we resumed operations late last year, we have Nomads who have started booking treks with us for 2021. Treks like Chadar, Kedarkantha, Brahmatal, and even International treks such as Everest Base Camp Trek and Annapurna Circuit Trek are seeing good responses.

As the world slowly catches up to trekking, Nomads have made trekking a part of their lifestyle. And rightfully so, as the experience gained through trekking in these mysterious mountains is unfathomable. They have something great in store for everyone who becomes a part of the journey to scale them.

Here are a few things that we have found how climbing mountains can help trekkers in a positive way.

You get physically and mentally fit!

Trekking helps you build your core, your endurance and improves your overall strength. Being amidst nature helps you regain your mental peace and gives you a whole new perspective on life. When on a trek, you also tend to maintain a balanced lifestyle of exercise combined with a good diet and great sleep. There is no room for unhealthy food in the mountains and the good food you consume becomes a great fule for your body to function properly.

The high altitude you attain while trekking, especially in the Himalayas strengthens your lungs and you also get to learn a lot from mother nature. When you choose a trek like Chadar, you realize that while your body cannot actually tolerate that kind of cold, it’s all about mentally training your body into believing that you will be fine.

You get to explore the unexplored

With social media booming its way into our lives, it’s very easy for us to see pictures of a million places with a longing to visit these places. However, only a few get out of their comfort zones and make that longing into reality. Climbing mountains requires courage, heart and lots of effort and doing the work to get to these places cuts many out of the crowds. Very few people like to get out of their comfort zones to reach these peaks, to explore these mountains but when they do, we can assure you, the view on the other side and be extremely rewarding.

You meet some amazing people along the way

Trekkers are some of the amazing people you can ever meet. Why you ask? If you observe closely, there are a few traits that they carry that almost all trekkers have – they have a brilliantly positive vibe, they are strong, confident and happy with the smaller things in life. When you trek with a group, even if you’re a solo trekker, you get to meet these people, interact with them and also be friends with them.

When you trek with others, even if you are strangers at first, you realise that you carry a similar goal, the goal to reach the top of the mountain and to experience the abundant beauty of nature. We’ve seen our Nomads make lifelong friends from our treks and the adventure of experiencing some of the most beautiful places with them is special in many ways.

You will finally understand why the mountains are calling and you must go

Mountains have a pull to them that no other adventure sport does. They are dangerous, they make us feel so small and sometimes they don’t even let us climb them. Yet, the power they hold, the pull they have to bring you back is unimaginable. More so, because, when you’re in the mountains, all your problems somehow feel smaller, your life slows down a bit, you get more time to think and you are vary of everything you do there. With the experience I have in the mountains, I know for a fact that when you spend enough time around them, you will feel the urge to come back. Once you trek to the base camp of Everest, you will understand how regardless of how tough the trek may feel then, you will want to do it all over again.

Mountains teach you – patience, persistence, and make you feel grateful

Trekking is anything but easy. Long ascents, waking up at unruly hours, beating the cold, not listening to your body and controlling your mind can be the most exhausting and hardest thing you do. They test you in ways that cannot be described.

As you climb, you will begin to realize certain things about these mountains. The classic quote that tells you “not to look at the whole mountain take it one piece at a time” is something you will come to understand. You will learn to never give up; to know that the reward will be worth the work it takes.

It may take you several months, attempts and hours but you will take the time and you can achieve the climb. Once you make it you will realize what all the fuss is about. It is like reaching a goal, achieving a dream and figuring out that you can do anything that you set your mind to. It’s an addictive feeling that no one can properly explain and one that you have to experience.

They will teach you a thing or two about why the environment matters

When you experience the beauty of the serene untouched mountains, you will voluntarily want to protect them. You will begin to realize exactly why it is your duty as a trekker, adventurer or explorer to leave no trace behind and clean up the mountains and protect nature.

It is only when you protect that you can enjoy and make the most of these places. When you climb mountains, you learn to respect what you have, you start reusing items, recycling whatever necessary and making the best out of what you already have.

They will teach you the art of being positive in life

If you have negative thoughts about climbing a mountain it is probably your one-way ticket to failure. Telling yourself you can’t or that it is impossible don’t help in any way. If you are positive, even if the climb is impossible at the moment, you will continue to try.

I always tell myself I must have 120% determination to achieve this climb. If you don’t believe you can climb the mountain than you probably never will. You can do more than you think you can and you just have to trust yourself, believe in yourself and take it one bit at a time, before you know it you will be standing on the peak.

You will start enjoying the smaller luxuries of life

When you’re continuously trekking for hours together and stop to take that first sip of water, it will be the best water you have ever tasted. On our trek to Kedarkantha Peak recently, our Nomads realized how lucky they are to have certain comforts in life like blankets, pillows or even a bed to sleep in that protects them from the gruelling cold. You start to respect what you have and you start looking at your necessities in a different manner.

They will teach you that sometimes you may fail and that’s okay

Of all the time we’ve spent in the mountains, we know one thing for sure, the weather can change in a heartbeat. This can mean you plan, your itinerary, everything can change, it all depends on the mountains. You can be 100 meters away from the summit and you may have to turn back due to some circumstances. Mountains will teach you that things are always changing and you need to be prepared to overcome that change and take some hard decisions.

With all the lessons you learn, you learn something new every time you go trekking in the mountains. And these lessons make you and shape you as a person, they build your perception and help you become a better human being.